Newsmakers: Feb. 2-8, 2015

Banking and Finance
Springfield First Community Bank hired Tyler Stalker as a residential lending manager. Stalker has eight years of experience, previously working with Great Southern Bank and Liberty Bank.

Courtney Burlison joined Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance as employee benefits account executive. Burlison has seven years of experience in human resources, employee benefits and finance.

Arvest Bank named Matt Keener a client adviser at its Republic Road branch. Keener, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ministry from Freed-Hardeman University, has four years of financial services experience.

BKD LLP promoted eight team members in its southern Missouri practice. Kristen Bright, Julie Pascoe, Kevin Scott and Erica Smith were named directors. Leah Friederich was named a senior management consultant, and Glois Appleton, Diana Maez and Mitzi Taft were promoted to outsourcing services senior associate II, a newly formed accounting level.

Clay Carter, an investment research analyst with Pension Consultants Inc., completed and passed the second level of the chartered financial analyst exam. He holds an MBA from Creighton University.  

Old Missouri Bank promoted Kim Battalia to human resources officer, Lisa Markle to electronic banking officer and Marcie Penka to senior vice president of branch operations.

Government
Brett Foster joined the city of Springfield as principal engineer for construction inspection. Foster, who previously served as senior construction inspector for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Springfield district, holds a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Media
Whitaker Publishing LLC promoted Sales Representative Ammie Scott to sales manager of 417 Magazine, 417 Home and 417 Bride. Scott joined the company in 2010.

Nonprofit
Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks awarded Lost and Found Grief Center a $25,000 grant. The funds will expand programs to families dealing with a terminal illness and may be receiving hospice care.